The interactional organization of aphasia naming testing

Abstract

In this article, Conversation Analysis (CA) is used to investigate the nature of aphasia naming tests in terms of their properties as a specialized form of social interaction. The basic test-item sequence which occurs in these tests is shown to be made up of a three-part sequential structure consisting of (1) a testing prompt, (2) a proffered answer by the testee, and (3) an acceptance or declining of that proffered answer by the tester. A declining prompts a further answer to be proffered, and this cycle continues until either an answer is accepted by the tester or until the participants treat the testee as being unable to produce the relevant picture name. It is suggested that the results of the analysis have implications for understanding naming tests as instruments which generate theoretical and clinical findings through particular talk-in-interaction practices.